Amidst the Heat
by Anjelle
Summary: A conversation sparks the start of a long, hot summer. Well, at least they aren't suffering alone. [Modern AU. MarcoAce/SaboLaw]
1. Prologue

"Life is a series of coincidences," a blonde stated, stirring his drink with his straw, a bored look on his face. "The simple fact of your existence is nothing more than the product of your parents' first encounter—the result of an affair between a man and woman who happened to meet at a roadside bar."

"That's… depressing," his company replied, staring across the table.

"Is it?" he asked.

"It is."

He smiled. "I find it comforting," he announced, sipping from his cup, "knowing that nothing is predetermined—that my actions will affect tomorrow."

"Don't you want something more? Like, don't you want there to be a reason why you exist? Isn't it depressing to think 'I just am'?"

"Not really," he replied with a shrug. "I was born to live. That's enough for me."

His friend sighed, slumping back into his chair, tilting his head back. Freckles danced across his cheeks as his skin revealed in the sunlight, sweat from his brow streaming down his face. The silence was a clear indicator that the subject was lost, forgotten by the fevered brain of the one sitting across from him. "It's hot."

The blonde let out a shallow chuckle as he lowered his glass back to the table, the clanking of ice sounding through their ears, piercing through the dreaded cry of cicadas. "You just realized?"

"Hush," the other retorted, dropping his head back to the heated surface he was sitting at, "it's too hot for sarcasm."

"Go inside."

"The air conditioner's broken," he whined, eyeing his cup. It was easy to tell what he was thinking. _'What if I pour that over my head?'_ He'd probably do it, too. "Going back in there would be like sentencing myself to roast in an oven."

"You're exaggerating," the blonde declared, sipping from the cup once more.

"Nope, it's totally realistic."

"Well, it's called a 'heat wave' for a reason, Ace."

"Well that reason can go to hell for all I care."

He rolled his eyes. Only that man could be so dramatic. It wasn't as though he didn't feel the heat—internally he complained just as much—but he wouldn't waste his energy. Ranting about the problem wasn't going to fix it. Still, they needed to find someplace to escape the humid air, the merciless sun. He wasn't partial to getting heat stroke. There was a lot to do before the summer ended; he couldn't afford a trip to the hospital.

"_Shit _that's cold!" his company exclaimed.

Looking up, he grinned, met with the sight of a drenched youth, ice cubes pooling in his seat. _He actually did it._ "You're a moron, you know that?"

Gray eyes lifted to meet his, a scowl splitting his sun-kissed skin. "Yeah, well, I'm desperate."

The blonde stood from his chair, leaning forward on the surface before him. "Then shall we take out debate elsewhere?"

"It wasn't really a debate, you know." Despite his words, he raised an eyebrow, showing his interest.

"It could have been," he replied. "Well? Would you like to find refuge or not?"

After giving the other a curious once-over, Ace smirked and nodded his head, rising. Ice cubes rolled from his lap onto the grass, settling amongst the dirt. Grabbing the small cooler at his feet, he neared the blonde. "Let's go."

Pacing next to his brother, Sabo wondered just how long the heat would last. It was the start of a painful summer.

Well, at least he wasn't suffering alone.

* * *

**A/N: So you probably deserve an explanation. Well, this was a writing exercise. I basically just started writing with no idea what was going to happen and thus this prologue was born. Then came the ideas for a plot for it. It's not going to be anything like my other works, I'm not sure how long the chapters will be and I'm not going to plan things out the way I usually do.**

**So. It's up to you guys whether I continue it. Please leave a review and tell me if you like/don't like it and I'll decide based on that. This is basically going to be me trying out a different way of writing, so... yeah. It could end up a failure, it could end up fun. I'm not sure. So please, tell me if you'd like me to give it a try. We'll see where it goes from there.**

**I'll see you next time if you guys decide you want more. Until then...**

**Adieu~**


	2. Taste

**So a fair amount of people said they'd like me to continue this, so here's the first chapter! I'll keep it going for as long as you guys want me to and for as long as you like it. For readers of my other stuff, though, this fic will have some differences from my others. I'll go ahead and list them.**

**1. This will remain a writing exercise just as it started out, meaning that I'll be doing a lot of experimenting with things such as mood, description, character interaction and whatever else I feel like at the time. Because of this, I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback from you guys, telling me what you do/do not like about the plot, the characters, the way it's written or where it's going.**

**2. There will be no minimum or maximum chapter length. Some could be as short at 500 words, others as long as 5,000. It's all going to depend on what I want to get done that chapter and I'm not going to force it to reach a minimum like I do with my other fics.**

**3. Because this still remains a test of new, fun ways to write and plot my stories, updates will be irregular. I could update the very next day or go a whole month before the next chapter gets posted. It's all going to be based on what I'm inspired to write and whatever time I have free after keeping up with my other, more established fics, my schooling and my volunteering. (I'm having fun so far, though, so hopefully there won't be any roadblocks for a while.)**

**If you don't mind the above, then I hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

That evening found Sabo seated at a coffee house in the downtown area of the city. He and his brother chose there to escape the ravaging heat simply because of location; it was ten minutes from their place and was practically deserted. None of the tables were occupied, which seemed odd, but they didn't care much after baking in the sun all afternoon. No, anything was welcomed so long as it had air conditioning.

They seated themselves at a booth resting against the window before Sabo assessed the shop. It looked well-kept, neat, which he appreciated greatly. Being a twenty-year-old university student, he rarely went inside places like that. He was more of an 'order Ace to pick him up some tea on the way home' kind of guy. But, that wasn't to say he couldn't appreciate a well-decorated shop. The sepia walls and dark brown, wooden tables were a nice touch, he admitted. There was something about the way the light lit up the room that felt inviting. Even the russet and tan checkerboard tiles were noted. Indeed, it was a comforting atmosphere.

Or it would have been, were it not for Ace's scowl.

Shoving the chair back roughly, he plopped down on the seat and slumped forward, arm holding up his head. Clearly he wasn't pleased. "We're trying to get away from the heat and you bring us to a coffee shop?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

The dark-haired youth was silenced at that, having no witty retorts come to mind. Quiet returned briefly as they scanned the unmanned bar, contemplating the location of the staff. The room filled with a silence so pure that only their own movements cut through, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. In all actuality, it was almost pleasing.

Deciding doing something was better than nothing, the blond removed a folded set of papers from his pants pocket, opening them to reveal glaring black text filed in neat rows. He hadn't a chance to more than glimpse it earlier.

Ace raised an eyebrow as he glanced his companion's way, curiously eyeing the forms in his hands. "What's that?"

"Documents," came Sabo's aloof reply as he leaned on the tabletop, scrolling the words with care and contemplation.

"New student?" he questioned.

Too immersed in his reading to reply, the blond nodded wordlessly. He'd been tutoring regularly ever since his graduation. It brought in a fair chunk of cash since only upper-middleclass families tended to hire him. Sure, his rates may have been a _little_ high, but he had tuition to save for and bills to pay. With the start of summer came a chance to increase his hours and the amount of students that he could take on at a time. One would think that to be the natural course of action for him to take. _However,_ life could be peculiar at times.

Trafalgar Law.

_That name…_

"Something wrong?" Ace asked.

Sabo let out a deep, airy breath and slumped back in his chair. Why did he have a bad feeling about that application? "I'm not sure yet."

The freckled youth opened his mouth to interrogate further when a shadow cast over their table, drawing their attention upwards to the lean figure of a suited male. He was unique—that wasn't debatable—with his heavily lidded eyes showing that he'd seen it all, a curious head of blonde, spikey hair atop his head, shaved at the back and sides. He was certainly unmistakable.

"Sorry for the wait yoi. We're a bit understaffed at the moment." That distinguishing verbal tick was noted but both remained silent. "What can I get you?"

"Espresso," Sabo replied automatically, earning a curious glance from the man. He always preferred it to regular coffee.

He nodded, turning to Ace expectantly. The freckled youth didn't give his order so readily, snapping his head to look at the posted menu. His fumbling made it clear that he hadn't thought about it during their wait. Well, the guy wasn't really one for caffeinated beverages, anyways, so he wasn't all to blame. The image of him rushing to think of something was nonetheless humorous.

Eventually he glanced to Sabo, silently asking him for advice. When his wordless urging went unnoticed, he faced the barista. "What would you recommend?"

The blond smirked, something sparking in his eyes as he nodded. "It'll be a moment yoi." With that, he turned on his heel and strutted to the back of the store, never once revealing what Ace would be getting.

"Bravo, Ace," Sabo said as he gave a slow, sarcastic clap.

"Did you see his hair?" he asked, not unlike a child as he glanced back at the man. "It's amazing!"

Sabo rolled his eyes but had to agree to some extent. He was more impressed that, despite the man's peculiar hairstyle, he fit his uniform well. Button-down dress shirt, deep, black vest and bowtie—it was definitely more formal than one would expect to find in that part of town, but it suited the barista well, even with his less groomed appearance.

Ace pulled from his gawking as he recalled their previous conversation, leaning forward with interest. "So what's with that application?"

The student blinked down at the papers, his eyes falling on the applicant's name. There were a few things that struck him as bizarre, but the first was identity. "Trafalgar—heard it before?"

"Yeah, I think," the other acknowledged with a nod. "Wasn't some guy with that name all over the news a few years back?"

Sabo hummed in confirmation. Back when he was a freshman in high school the story was everywhere—the tragic deaths of world renowned surgeon and scholar, Dr. Trafalgar, and his wife flew the media into a frenzied mess. There were speculations all across the board, from murder to a double suicide and everything in between. Not long before their deaths, information leaked about the doctor's unethical practices—procedures he performed in secret, hidden away from the world. The case went unsolved and interest over the next few months fizzled out.

That didn't surprise him. What held his interest was that his client wished for him to tutor that man's son.

He didn't even know there was a son.

"What about the Donquixote family?"

"They're that really rich family, right?" Ace thought for a moment before adding, "The one that's related to nobility or some shit?"

Again, Sabo gave a nod. "The request was sent by the family's head, Doflamingo, to teach his charge Trafalgar Law."

"And?" the youth pressed.

"_And_ he asked for my services full-time."

Ace raised his eyebrows. "That's new."

It certainly was. Though the pay promised was definitely worth it, he had to wonder what made the man so desperate for his tutelage. The child of a modern-day genius couldn't be too incompetent, could he? But, with an offer like that, he had to wonder.

A hand interrupted them, carefully setting down two cups, the smaller in front of Sabo, before retreating to the side of the waiter to whom it belonged.

"Thanks," Sabo said, mouth curving into a polite smile.

His companion blinked, looking from his drink to the man dressed in sharp monochrome, silently asking his question.

"Iced café mocha," the older blond answered, "since you're not fond of the heat yoi."

"Oi, Marco," shouted a voice from an unseen source, "come 'ere a sec!"

With that, he gave a quick bow and retreated to the back.

Sabo snickered. So he heard Ace complaining, did he?

The youth in question pulled his mouth into a thin line, watching as the man vanished, leaving the shop deserted once more. They were really lax around there, to leave the front unmanned so frequently.

"So," Ace began, picking up his drink to inspect it further, "What are you going to do about the request?"

The blond sighed, sipping his espresso. "I don't know, to be honest. I'm not too fond of the idea of abandoning my current assignments."

"Then…?"

"I'll meet him, at least. The pay's good, so I can't really dismiss it."

Ace nodded in understanding. Their financial situation, while not dire, was unstable. They were comfortable for the time but with both hopping from job to job it was hardly ideal. Any work they could find was invaluable.

Taking his first mouthful of his drink, Ace blinked, pausing as he registered the taste. "It's… good."

* * *

**A/N: If you're wondering why I had Marco give Ace an iced cafe mocha... I have a dog named Mocha and he was staring at me like a creeper while I was writing this so... yeah :P**

**To my lovelies~**

**samiya88: Prologues aren't meant to be long :P But yeah, I'm planning on not paying the length of the chapters much attention. Hope you guys don't mind. Good, I'm glad you think I wrote them well ^^ They're my two favourites to write lately, it seems. Here it is! Hope you liked it!**

**Lucia1012: For now, I have decided to continue :D**

**SkittlesTheUnicorn: I never thought of it, either, until I started writing ****_Divide_**** and one of my reviewers asked me to pair them. I was like "That pairing makes no sense! They have, like, no canon relation at all!" but now... it grew on me XD Lol I feel the same. I like AceLu, but MarcoAce is my OTP for sure. **

**Merp: Yeah, it's definitely going to be ****_very_**** different from my other stuff. I'm kind of excited to write out the ideas I have.**

**Ezaria: I'm continuing for now! We'll see how long it lasts :)**

**Son Goshen: The thing is, I ****_wanted_**** to go in head-first without any idea of what I'm doing but now... well... I've already thought up a basic plot T^T And I wasn't even trying, damn it! I wish I was cold. The summer's been so hot and humid here that even my hyperactive dog wants to stay indoors. Well, if it falls apart than at least I had fun while it lasted XD**

**shimarin: I'm continuing for the time being :)**

**spoons-are-evil: It really had been good practice so far :D I don't know, we'll see how far it goes. I'm very glad to have your support!**

**Guest: Lol but there's a chance this one won't be good because it's an experiment XD Yep, school gets in the way of writing. But hey, at least I'm not quitting altogether, right?**

**mad100141: It's a modern AU so he doesn't have his devil fruit ability. I thought it'd be ironic to make him hate the heat. Plus someone had to complain about it, and Sabo wasn't about to :P I've already planned a bit, sadly T^T That's why headcanons exist :D **

**Mon Esprit Libre: Well here's another chapter. Let's see how far it goes.**

**Felixsk1: It is continued! :D At least for now. Hopefully I can include more amusing parts like that.**

**azab: Good :)**

**Guest (2): Here's more!**

**((Sooooo... yup. Hoping this chapter didn't turn out too bad, I haven't looked it over... as usual. Heh. Thanks for reading and please leave whatever feedback you can, even if it's only to say whether you liked or hated the chapter. I'd like to keep this experiment going for as long as I can so let's hope the next few chapters aren't too hard to write. Anyways, have a good day/night/evening/morning/ecosystem(what?) and I'm gonna go sleep. G'night and adieu~))**


	3. Curtains

**So here it is - my 3rd and final update for the day. Or, well, week, technically. I hope you guys enjoy it! And remember: feedback is appreciated! This story is an experiment, after all!**

**This story is going to be a lot of fun to write, I can just tell.**

**NOTE: Until my hiatus is over, I'll only be updating on Thursdays.**

**Disclaimer: Intensive classes are intensive for a reason.**

* * *

"Well, here it is," Sabo murmured, double-checking the card in his hand where an address was scribbled sloppily over one of his brother's doodles—because, at the time of writing it, he could find nothing else to use. He hadn't been too impressed to find that Ace had been using his business cards as surfaces to practice his oh-so-talented artistic abilities. Not that it mattered much…

The house—if it could still be called a house—was easily the most intimidating residence he'd been invited to yet. Put simply, it was huge. Four stories high and covering at least an acre of land, it had enough rooms to accommodate ten families, probably more.

…Was the owner compensating for something?

Sabo shook his head, freeing his mind of any further thoughts that were influenced by his brother's logic to observe it seriously. Having had dozens of students under his care thus far, the blond understood that an important part of tutoring was to understand who he was teaching and adjust his methods accordingly. Observing their living space could help in identifying what they were like and how they grew up. With as large of a mansion as that at his disposal, that Trafalgar Law fellow probably had everything handed to him. He was born with a silver spoon, so to speak. It wouldn't have been surprising if he adopted a rich-boy persona, not bothering to study because he didn't feel the need.

If that was the case, he was dealing with a true moron—one of Ace's caliber. That was a sad, sad scenario.

Stammering up to the front gate, still taken aback by the size of the mansion, Sabo hit the buzzer. There were a few moments of silence before the speaker crackled to life.

"Hello?"

The voice was deep—calm. With that family's wealth, it had to belong to a servant, more than likely the head butler. If Sabo were honest, he'd have to admit that he was a little jealous of the set-up. It wasn't that he wanted servants, but cash like that sounded pretty damn nice. "My name is Sabo. I have an appointment with Trafalgar Law." The butler said not a word, silently pressing him for more information. "I'm his prospective tutor."

"Ah," the man noised, "I'm sorry. Please come through."

With that the gates sprang to life, parting automatically. Now granted passage, Sabo stepped forward into the estate's grand front, though it seemed the house was still far-off. He hated that his visit involved so much traveling. Alas, he hadn't the money to afford a car. The bus ride there was a painful forty-five minutes and the extra ten it took to reach the main building's entrance certainly wasn't welcomed.

When he reached the front door, he was greeted by a tall, pale fellow in black he assumed to be the butler he spoke to. His appearance was striking, his white-blond hair and red eyes being his most notable features.

_Albino?_

"I'm sorry," he apologised again, bowing his head sullenly. Why he was doing that, Sabo couldn't be sure. He simply nodded and allowed the man to lead the way down corridor after corridor. There was something eerie about that place. Every room, every hall, every space had white walls. Not off-white, not cream, not eggshell—pure, unyielding white. It made the tutor feel like he was in a hospital, walking through the intensive care unit to visit a family member who was about to expire.

He shook his head. _Why such disturbing thoughts?_

In ordinary mansions, one would expect to see lavish furnishings and expensive décor, but that one had nothing of the sort. It was plain, bland and off-putting. In fact, Sabo was so brazen to think that his small, two-bedroom home had better interior design. It was certainly more welcoming. There were no plants, no pictures, no valuables… It didn't feel like someone lived there. Even _Ace_ put more thought into his living space.

Eventually the blond was brought to a white door, not unlike the countless white doors he passed on his way there. He wasn't sure how he'd find his way back out with everything looking the same as it did. Maybe that was the point. Maybe Trafalgar was like his father, using unwilling guests as test subjects in a slew of unethical practices before killing them and burying their dismembered—

_Focus, Sabo!_

The butler knocked, standing at attention. There was no answer. He wasn't put off by that, though, and repeated the action. Eventually there was a groan, followed promptly by, "Go away, Bepo."

It seemed Sabo had his work cut out for him. Well, that wasn't a first; most of his students tended to be on the slow side. A large percentage consisted of vulgar, uneducated brats with little to no real-world experience—kind of like Ace, in a way. He could handle Ace.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the butler, recently deemed Bepo, apologised again, "but you have—"

Sabo raised a hand, stopping the man mid-sentence, before reaching for the knob. He knew how to deal with self-important rich kids, which he could safely assume Trafalgar was. If his guess was wrong then, well, at least he'd make an interesting first impression. Doflamingo warned him of how uncooperative his new student could be, so being a little forceful wouldn't do any harm.

Ignoring the servant's quiet protests, the blond opened the door, met with almost complete blackness. He cocked an eyebrow, surprised to find something other than blinding white within that place. So the kid was still sleeping even though it was midday? He certainly didn't seem to have many worries if he could indulge so heavily in sleep.

Pacing immediately to the far wall, he tugged at a cloth he could barely make out, pushing it to the side to reveal the bright sunlight of noontime. He heard the student cringe and curse behind him but paid the noise no mind. _Black-out curtains. Of course._

"Shit," cussed an unfamiliar voice. Sabo turned towards it to see a young man sitting on the bed, legs still beneath the sheets of which he slept. The youth held strongly to his head as though he was trying to keep it from falling off. Finally he looked up, the sclera of his eyes standing stark against his dark skin and gray irises. He looked tired, if not for the fact that he was still in bed then for the dark, black circles beneath his eyes. "Get out," he sneered.

Sabo remained unfazed by his threatening tone and ignored him. He spotted a set of chairs and invited himself to sit, motioning for the other to do the same. "Well? We haven't all day," he stated, adjusting his posture.

"Um, Sir…" Bepo's tiny voice entered the room, filled with unease. Clearly what the tutor was doing was unheard of. Well, he'd always been a fan of spontaneity.

To put the butler's nerves to rest, Sabo gave him a warm smile. "Bepo, why don't you prepare something for the young master and I to drink, hm?" When those red eyes enlarged, the blond knew that the servant understood what he was doing; he was giving the man a chance to escape. Not taking the opportunity for granted, the albino nodded, bowed and promptly shut the door.

Instead of the slew of curses and vulgarities he expected, his client simply glowered at him in silence, as though he was studying him. Sabo didn't mind. In fact, he was intrigued by it. In all other scenarios, only he participated in behavioural observation when confronted with a student for the first time. The other party never bothered. That man, however, was different.

"Who are you?" Trafalgar asked with narrowed eyes, not bothering to remove himself from his sheets.

Now, there were a few different ways Sabo could go about answering that question, but which one would best fit his character? He hadn't seen much of the youth so there was no definite answer. He bore witness to the high levels of irritation exuding from the man and the way his eyes glassed over, as though still partially asleep. But did he have a temper? Well, why not find out?

Curving his lips mischievously, he leaned forward. "I'm your new babysitter."

The glare Trafalgar sent him could kill. He ignored it, though. When faced with privileged brats, he tended not to take their threats seriously.

"You have ten seconds to change your answer," Trafalgar stated, voice hard and full of resolve.

"It is what it is," Sabo said with a shrug. "I'm here to take care of you—bring up your grades."

The teen snorted. "So Doflamingo hired a tutor?" His voice dropped then, to almost inaudible levels. "That dirty bastard…"

"Babysitter," Sabo corrected. Looking the man up and down, he added, "You need more than what a tutor can give." Wearing a black and yellow hooded sweater, spotted jeans and a similarly pattered hat, Law certainly didn't look as wealthy as he was. In fact, he appeared quite dingy. Shouldn't someone of high social standing dress better? "Now, come here so I can begin your assessment."

His only response was his middle finger.

"Very mature of you, Trafalgar," Sabo said, lacing his words with sarcasm.

"I don't take orders from anyone," he stated, voice flat and unyielding, "especially not you."

"You wound me." Sabo's face dropped its amusement, resting lightly on his knuckles. "Then would you kindly join me so we can begin?"

Thoughtful for a moment, Law dragged himself out of bed, cursing under his breath as he stammered across the room before coming to a stop across from Sabo and dropping into the chair. Still his eyes wandered, studying the one he was faced with. "You look familiar."

Closing his eyes, the blond released a breath and turned to face the ceiling-high windows to his right. He looked from behind his eyelids to the sky that showed through the glass. It was such a lovely day out. He wondered how Ace was doing with his job hunt. Maybe he already found a placement. Knowing that man, probably not. He likely wound up distracted by something. Oh well.

"I assure you, we've never met." Again he faced the man, gaze lingering over his darkly-rimmed eyes. Despite his 'fuck off' appearance, he was actually being a lot more cooperative than one would think. "Let's get started, then. My name is Sabo."

"Just Sabo?" he questioned.

"Just Sabo," the blond affirmed with a nod as he opened his briefcase, removing a small bundle of papers. He flipped past the personal information to the third page, containing the details of Doflamingo's request. And what a request it was; he apparently had failing grades in every subject. Normally his students needed help in only math or science. No wonder the pay was so good. "Seems I've got my work cut out for me," he mumbled, giving a sigh.

Law narrowed his eyes, watching the blond with distaste.

The tutor tapped his paper, turning it around for his charge to see. Listed on it was every class he was currently taking and their allocated grades. Nothing was above 35%. It was quite sad for Sabo, considering it meant more work. He'd been hired to reform a delinquent—_great_.

_Fan-fucking-tastic._

"Care to explain?"

Trafalgar leaned back, arms crossed with an almost bored look on his face. "It is what it is," he replied plainly.

Sabo sighed. That brat wasn't going to make his job easy, was he? Well, he was always up for a challenge.

* * *

**A/N: So, how's their first encounter? :D Thanks to everyone who's reviewing this story - I really appreciate the feedback, especially since this is an experimental story.**

**To my lovelies~**

**azab: Glad you like!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Right?! And yes, that was Thatch. Because we need more Thatch in our lives.**

**shimarin: It's definitely an odd set-up :P I will~**

**Felixsk1: Marco's great, isn't he? Really happy to hear that you like the way I write him ^^**

**MyLadyDay: Same, I'm actually having a lot of fun with it!**

**Guest: I'm not sure. I guess if you guys suggest couples and I like one, I can add it as a side-pairing :)**

**Vergina-spva: Really? I actually imagined in in anime style myself XD You flatter me ^-^ But I'm really happy to hear that you're liking it!**

**denOden: Oh trust me, this Sabo's going to be sarcastic alright ;) So far I don't think it's going to include much - or any - fighting so I don't know if he'll be badass, but we'll see! Lol I'm not sure about Dofi's partner, if he has one. Like I said, this story is a huge experiment of mine so I'm not even sure what's going to happen myself. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.**

**G: I will :)**

**spoons-are-evil: You'll see :) It'll be better explained in future chapters. That's what I like about writing Sabo - because we never saw him grow up, I can change him a lot in each of my fics. I do that with Ace in my fics, too, and Lufy, but not to the same extent. That's what makes it fun :D**

**(Thanks so much for the feedback! Hope you enjoyed! Adieu~)**


	4. Freezing Point

**To celebrate the end of my hiatus and exams, I'm updating ALL of my ongoing stories! Enjoy :D (And yes, I DID almost die doing this... Took a VERY long time to write them all.)**

**So I had fun with this chapter. Not sure why. For the most part, each chapter will be in the perspective of one of the brothers and they'll switch back and forth. That's general - some may not follow this rule. We'll just have to see. Also, please keep telling me what you think and any ideas you have for the fic! This is still just an experiment so any feedback you can give is much appreciated :)**

**MarcoAce Recommendations: _Reborn in Fire, Maybe This_ _Year_ (or anything by Stuffn'Stuff, really),_ Diptych_ (also KiddLaw). These are awesome. Seriously, check them out. Right now. You won't regret it... No, wait! Read the chapter, THEN check them out XD Also for lovers of gore, try _Liston's Advice_. One of the best descriptions of gore I've ever read, no exaggeration. It's MarcoAce brotherly, no pairings.**

**Disclaimer: I think I'm having caffeine withdrawals e_e;;**

* * *

Ace yawned. Another day, another boring job. He wasn't complaining—not at all. Well, he _was_, but not really. Did that make sense? To put it simply: he was grateful for the work because he needed the cash, but switching from place to place constantly was aggravating. He wanted something stable, but no one was willing to take him on permanently. Maybe it had something to do with his attitude, or the fact that he had a GED instead of a high school diploma. That was a stupid reason if that was the case. He studied _hard_ to get that damn piece of paper! Sabo practically drilled everything into that thick skull of his—it was horrible!

Stopping in his walk, he sighed. He was being ridiculous. Now he was just _looking_ for excuses.

It was a miserable day. The sun was out, heating the pavement beneath his feet. It was so hot out that he swore he could hear his skin sizzle. How clear, blue skies could be so menacing was beyond him. It was like the world was lying, telling him everything was alright even when it clearly was _not_. Knowing that a broken air conditioner would be there to greet him when he got home, the youth was sure to slow his pace. Staying in that house was like walking into an oven.

The bustling downtown area had been reduced to a crippled, pathetic excuse for human settlement. Very few dared to trudge those streets with a level two heat wave in effect. Meteorologists advised citizens to stay indoors—keep themselves hydrated and cool. Physical activity was out of the question. Not for Ace; he couldn't afford a day off and, considering his strengths lied in his muscle, outdoor work made up the majority of his jobs.

He felt like curling up on the sidewalk and dying.

There was hope, though. His eyes crossed a familiar sign and he knew that maybe, just maybe, he would survive his endeavour.

Naturally, he stepped inside.

Frigid air swept across his being as soon as he opened the door, greeting him with the sweet escape he so craved. The chime of the front bell met his ears, followed closely by the now nostalgic scent of freshly-ground coffee beans. It was like paradise.

Looking out into the shop, he saw that he wasn't the only one who sought refuge at the coffee house. Half of the tables were occupied by chatting customers. Some held but one occupant with a laptop, others seated groups of friends and families. Still, despite the amount of people, it was quiet. He liked that. Despite how loud of a person he was, it was nice to relax in peace and quiet every once in a while.

"Just one?" someone asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He blinked, finally looking at the one standing in front of him. She was a fair-skinned, dark-haired woman. Or, well, he_ thought_ she was, before looking at her body. To be perfectly honest, he'd never met such an effeminate man. It took him off-guard. "Uh, yeah," he answered dumbly.

The not-woman smiled. Gesturing him to follow, sh—_he _walked over to a booth by the window. Ace quickly complied and took a seat, staring up at the waiter curiously. He sported the same uniform as the staff he encountered during his last visit, with a black vest overtop a stark-white dress shirt. While the blond from before wore a tie, he wore a black bowtie.

A hand immerged from the man's pocket with a notepad and pencil. But Ace didn't pay him much mind. His eyes lingered past to a familiar blond tuff of hair behind the counter as he crossed into the front of the shop. Taking long, confident strides, he went immediately for the front door.

Then their eyes met. For just an instance they stared, a smirk crossing the blond's face as he changed course, heading for the table.

"What can I get you?" the waiter asked, smiling in a polite sort of way.

Ace hadn't the time to so much as open his mouth before another, vaguely nostalgic voice chimed in. "Iced mocha latte," it said, not unlike their last encounter. Both turned to the blond curiously. "Right?" he asked, as though he hadn't guessed correctly.

"…Yeah," Ace confirmed hesitantly.

The waiter looked between the two for a short stretch, blinking quizzically. "You know him?" he asked the blond, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

The other simply shrugged. "We've met yoi." There it was again—that distinct verbal tick.

Giving one last, curious glance between them, the unnamed male mouthed a quick "It'll only be a moment," and retreated to the back of the shop, leaving the pair there awkwardly. Ace wasn't really sure what to say nor why the blond, practically a stranger, approached him. By the time his mind invented some form of conversation starter, the other was already speaking.

"Do you work nearby yoi?"

Ace sat there dumbfounded, trying to register the question but never answering it, instead asking one of his own: "Why?"

Again, the blond—what was his name? M-something? Or was it N-something? He couldn't recall—shrugged. His posture was slouched slightly, far more relaxed than when they first met. "Most people here are coming from work. It's too hot to go out otherwise yoi." To prove his point, he gestured to the men and women seated at the other tables, some uniformed, others with laptops, typing away methodically as they sipped their coffees and teas.

Seeing his point, the freckled youth sighed. "I just finished my shift; spend the last five hours welding in a warehouse. And before you ask: no, it wasn't air-conditioned. My boss doesn't _believe_ in air-conditioning."

He ignored it when a sympathetic chuckle crossed the man's lips. "I just got off, too."

Now, as much as Ace wouldn't verbally admit it, he was curious about the man—if not for his friendly demeanor then for his insanely abnormal hairstyle. Okay, maybe it was _mostly_ the hair that drew him in, but he seemed like a nice guy. Before he knew it, certain words were passing his lips. "Wanna sit with me then?" The words just flowed naturally from his tongue, smooth and relaxed. He almost didn't realize what he asked. Averting his eyes to the cream-coloured tablecloth, he sputtered. "If you want, I mean."

Again the man laughed, just a little, but Ace could see him shaking his head in his peripheral vision. "I have somewhere to be yoi. Maybe next time…"

"Ace," the youth supplied, grinning up at the man in his usual, mischievous fashion.

"Ace," he repeated. Lifting his arm from his side, he held out a gloved hand, fingers splayed, the gesture obvious. "I'm Marco."

He took the hand without a single thought. There was something almost… charming about him. His voice just moved the conversation along naturally, leaving no room for hesitation and making you feel _safe._ Above all else, Ace liked that quality—liked the security he felt when talking with the man he only just learned the name of.

Their hands separated and Marco gave a lazy wave before turning around and heading to the exit. Ace watched him go, never noticing the return of the other staff member who stood beside him. His attention was pulled only when a cup was placed delicately on the tablecloth before him. Looking up, he spotted that same dark-haired male.

"Thanks," he said with a grateful smile.

"It's on the house," the waiter stated.

Ace's eyes widened. "What? But I—"

"We'll take it out of Marco's paycheck," he said with a wink. Ace just stared incredulously, as though the man had three heads. "Don't give me that look—it's his fault for ordering for you. I'm Izo, by the way."

Deciding to just go with it, he replied, "Name's Ace."

"I'll have to remember that."

The youth didn't know what, exactly, Izo meant by that, but remained silent.

"Oi, Izo, stop chatting and go wait tables!" a voice shouted from the back. Ace's eyes scrolled to the source, a redhead behind the counter. Despite his order, his face held an amused grin, betraying the ferocity of his voice.

Izo rolled his eyes dramatically and shouted back, "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" Mouthing a quick "See you later," the waiter paced over to the next table and put a smile on his face as he awaited the guest's order.

Ace didn't miss how the redhead behind the counter and the brunette to his left watched him, or the whispering passed between them, but he put his queries to the back of his mind. Too tired to think about it and too hot to care, he sipped his iced mocha latte in peace. It'd been a long, exhausting day.

* * *

Ace yawned and stretched, eyes strained from staring at the screen for hours on end. As per his usual routine, he searched job listings on the computer immediately upon arriving at his humble, furnace-like home—after checking his email, of course. As expected, he hadn't received any interview requests, nor were there any new jobs posted that he was qualified for; it was called a _recession_ for a reason.

Groaning his frustrations, he not-so-gently shut the laptop and leaned against the back of his chair, staring mindlessly at the white ceiling. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, his mind too preoccupied with worries of his income. He was running low on side-jobs. At the rate things were going, he'd owe Sabo money again. He _hated_ that. Why did he always need his brother's damn help? He felt guilty enough already!

Huffing childishly, Ace straightened and hopped out of his chair. The heat was doing nothing for his mood and, in a desperate attempt to escape the mind-numbing blaze of his living room, dragged himself into the kitchen. Immediately he went to the fridge, as if on autopilot, and swung open the freeze door, inserting his head as far as he could. _Ah, sweet relief._

He closed his already heavily-lidded eyes, embracing the icy freezer air wholeheartedly. His mind drifted further and further into unconsciousness. In that moment he truly felt he could die happy, abandoning all of his worries and tribulations and eternally escaping the heat.

"…What are you doing?"

The voice tore him from his frozen paradise. He instinctively removed his head from the freezer, immediately feel the icy burn on his cheeks and nose as his numbed face hit the heat of the open air. Upon spotting a dark-eyed blond, he scowled. Of course it was Sabo—who else would be in his house? "I'm embracing my final solution to the broken air conditioner."

Sabo raised an eyebrow. "By freezing your head?" he asked.

"I never said it was fool-proof," the freckled youth replied with a shrug.

"Uh-huh," Sabo noised incredulously. He paced past his brother and opened the fridge, removing two bottles of water, tossing one to Ace before heading towards the living room. "Fear not, dear brother; I've acquired a solution to our turmoil."

At that Ace's eyes went wide. He followed his sibling into the other room, sitting across from him on the sofa and listening closely to what he had to say. "You got the money to fix it?"

"I will if I take that job." Ace said nothing, wordlessly pressing for details as he chugged the contents of his water bottle. "Donquixote is offering $45 an hour."

Reflexively he spat out his drink, spraying it across the glass tabletop and carpeted floor—even the one sitting across from him who wasn't too impressed, sending his sibling a dull glare as he retrieved a cloth from his pocket and dabbed at his face. "Y-you can't be—you're not…"

Sabo finished drying himself, a stern look crossing his face. "I'm dead serious."

The room fell quiet with nothing but their breaths to fill it. Then, simultaneously, they grinned.

"That's amazing!"

"I know!"

"We could _live_ off of money like that!"

"I know!"

"What's the catch?"

Sabo froze, face falling into a frown. He slouched back in his seat, releasing a long, heavy sigh. The buzz of cicadas rang through the silence from the open windows, making it seem that much hotter and making a certain blond that much more irate. Ace didn't like where their conversation was headed. "…Trafalgar is the most stubborn, irresponsive, _childish_ person I've ever met."

"Worse than me?" he inquired.

"_Way_ worse than you, Ace. He puts you to _shame._" Ace could tell from his brother's furrowed brow that the blond was reflecting on his not-so-pleasant experience. "I tried asking him what he struggled with in math and he threw a used scalpel at my head."

_…Scalpel?_

"Then he pointed a nodachi at my throat—told me leave _'or else,'_ the brat."

"The hell is a nodachi?"

When Sabo gave him a 'you-did-not-just-ask-that' face, he knew he was in a sour mood. Normally the blond didn't mind elaborating on things like that. "It's a—" There was a pause, as though he was re-evaluating his explanation. "—big sword. Let's go with that."

Ace pouted. _In other words, it's too much trouble to explain._

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm taking the job."

"But—"

"I don't care. Monsieur Law can push me out of the window and I still won't turn it down."

"…You're willing to die for money?" Ace asked, disbelief clear in his tone.

"For _a lot_ of money, yes. Don't give me that look—you'd do the same in my position." And the youth had to stay quiet, for he knew Sabo was right. "Besides, I can handle him."

"Oh yeah?" he asked incredulously.

"I put up with you daily, dear brother. Nothing is too difficult for me at this point."

He ignored the jab at his ego, for the moment. "When do you start?"

"Friday," he answered.

"Any idea on how you're going to deal with him?"

The look on Sabo's face in that moment was almost sinister. His reply was simple, betraying the plotting look his smirk held and the way his eyes hardened with determination and something a lot darker.

"I have my ways."

* * *

**A/N: Hehehe... I'll just leave you to ponder that and get to responding to the reviews.**

**To my lovelies~**

**MyLadyDay: Thanks :D Oh, it's MUCH more than brat Law. I think. I'm going chapter-by-chapter with this fic so I can't say anything for sure. Sabo grew on me while writing ****_Divide_**** XD Fortunately he won't be as demented in this fic. There will be more Ace! :) Like I said, the focus will switch back and forth between Sabo and Ace.**

**ssspooky: Updates are back! At least until my next exams at the beginning of November... You're welcome ^^**

**spiffysarah1026: Awe, you flatter me XD I appreciate the reviews. I know how it feels to be distracted by fanfics... I just use new chapters as rewards for studying and doing my readings/homework XD **

**azab: Glad you like!**

**shimarin: We shall see about that :3 Lol nope, Ace is a horrible artist. At least in my fic. I've seen others where he has a lot of talent but for this one he does not :P **

**yukiko hyuga-chan: Definitely XD**

**Hotaru Vie Jaegerjaquez: Lol seems strange doesn't it? Almost... wrong? XD It's one of mine too. I've noticed a lot of people liking it lately, which is awesome :D You're welcome~**

**Vergina-spva: Hope it met your expectations!**

**spoons-are-evil: There will definitely be more sarcasm in the future, I promise XD There's a reason for that! Probably. I don't know, I'm going into this fic completely blind. Normally I'd have everything mapped out by now ._. But it's an experiment, so... yeah. Kind of intimidating. I think the sessions will end up being a lot of fun :D Glad you liked ^^**

**mad100141: Not sure if I'm going to add Luffy or not. I might, but I can't be sure. So far he doesn't fit into it. To be honest, I'm not sure about anything since this is an experiment. We'll just have to see! I think Penguin and Sachi will be in it. Later. Yep! Got 3 of them in this chapter. Yep, he ended up in the store again. **

**TheRoseThatKnowsPain: MarcoAce is awesome, isn't it? It's my OTP XD So since you haven't read SaboLaw before then you're probably new to my stuff. So welcome! Really hope you enjoy this fic :) I'm not sure if I'm going to put Luffy in or not. It's an experiment so I'm going chapter-by-chapter with the plot, which is something I've never done.**

**JuneBinoya: So happy you like it! Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy~**


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